What Drives Political Violence in America

What It Covers

University of Chicago professor Robert Pape presents data from 20 nationally representative surveys showing that political violence acceptance has doubled to 14–21% of Americans since Trump's 2024 election, driven by demographic transition and wealth concentration, creating what Pape terms "violent populism" threatening democratic stability.

Key Questions Answered

• •Violent Populism Scale: University of Chicago surveys show 14–21% of Americans currently support political violence — roughly double the 10% recorded during the Biden years. Critically, 55% of those supporters define "use of force" as assassination specifically, meaning approximately one in ten Americans implicitly endorses political assassination as a legitimate tool.
• •Attacker Profile Shift: Analysis of 1,575 January 6 defendants reveals the profile of right-wing political violence has fundamentally changed. Unemployment matched the national average at 7%, and perpetrators included business owners, doctors, lawyers, and CEOs. Only 10% belonged to militia groups, versus 50% in prior decades — meaning threat assessment must target suburban, educated demographics.
• •Dual Structural Drivers: Two simultaneous social changes fuel bipartisan violence: the U.S. transitioning from 88% white in 1960 to a projected 49% white minority by 2045, and a decades-long wealth shift from the bottom 90% to the top 1% regardless of which party governs. Neither party has addressed the wealth concentration driver.
• •Rhetoric Measurably Reduces Violence: After Biden's post-assassination-attempt Oval Office address in 2024 condemning political violence across all sides, subsequent University of Chicago surveys recorded a 20% nationwide decline in political violence support. A second similar statement from Biden and Harris produced another measurable drop, suggesting joint bipartisan condemnation is a concrete, near-term intervention.
• •The 75% Majority Strategy: Despite elevated violence support, 75% of Americans consistently oppose political violence across all surveys. Pape argues this majority can reduce violence by actively contacting representatives to demand bipartisan condemnation. Currently, congressional inboxes receive only partisan escalation messages, directly shaping leader behavior — constituent pressure from the anti-violence majority would shift that signal.